I am smiling as I write this because so many of your responses have a breath of humor that sometimes catches me off guard. On a personal note, over the months many of you have been asking if I will write a book on these posts concerning Transition and the Tabernacle? The answer is - it is in the works right now. Yes, it will be easier to read and digest that way, but for those of you who want RAW insights right now – keep reading this blog.

PREPARATION FOR THE DEEPER MYSTERY
In many ways walking into these two rooms, which actually look like one room to those on the outside, is in itself a mystery. These dark, covered rooms that are filled with ethereal elements and strange furniture present an imposing structure to the spiritual neophyte. It is in these dark rooms that the Dark Night of the Soul is exacerbated and it is Divinely meant to be this way.

You are not without hope, it is the Dark Night of the Soul and the discomfort of this era of your life that is preparing you for the extraordinary mystery you are entering - and you thought this was about obedience and discipline. Well, it is, but it is the depth of those two spiritual disciplines that is sensitizing you sufficiently enough to take advantage of the deeper mysteries you will soon experience.

SPIRITUAL REALITIES
It is the flight from discomfort to comfort that keeps you pressing toward the next room. Without the deeper spirituality gained from the confines of this room you will have no place to lodge the source from which all the coming mysteries flow. Without this added sensitivity, the life changing events that will soon rush your way will remain inexperienced and you will remain oblivious to spiritual realities you more than likely have already encountered.

These spiritual realities will reshape your marriage, your parenting, your family, and your view of God, but only if you apply them and to apply them you will have to know their reality. I know it seems like a cycle that leads to a cycle, the question then becomes, how do you get in the cycle? You get in through the sensitivity you are gaining from the discomfort of your current moment. This is called brokenness and contrition and God promises to be close to those who have it (Psalms 38:14; Isa 66:2).

THE SPIRITUAL OPENING

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One key to keep in mind is that the opening to get into this vortex of spirituality is very small and each piece of furniture you are going toward holds a key. Each one will tell you how to prepare yourself for what is about to happen. Even now, the Holy Spirit is giving you the sensitivity you need to navigate this room – you just are not sensitive enough to feel that yet – but you will.

However, before you can go much further, you need to know the reality of the deeper mystery of the rooms you have just entered. To fully immerse yourself in this deeper mystery you will need to visualize what some might think are three parallel universes – the Tabernacle, the Throne Room of Heaven, and the Garden of Eden.

THE EARTH, YOU, AND THE THRONE ROOM
When you study the design of these three you find some amazing parallels. Without going into detail the Garden of Eden was designed to parallel the design of Heaven itself (Gen. 2; Rev. 4, 21-22). God made the Garden to look like Heaven in order to remind man of that which would become His eventual home. As Adam subdued the Earth the wildness of the untamed Earth would begin to look like the Garden. At some point then the entire Earth would then look like the Garden of Eden.

In the same way we are to subdue the Earth, or said another way, advance the Kingdom. In doing this we prepare the Earth for God’s eventual rule as the Kingdoms of this Earth become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Taken on step further, what we are to do to the Earth is exactly what God is doing in us – preparing His dwelling place.

I’ll write more on the First Deep Mystery, including the three parallel universes, in my next post.

Blessings,
John Paul